This invention relates to a hockey stick. More specifically, this invention relates to a hockey stick having a malleable blade which can be customized in curvilinear shape to a user's individual specifications.
Many hockey players, like other sports participants, desire custom equipment tailored to their individual preferences. In hockey sticks, the shape and curvature of the blade itself has great influence on a player's handling and shooting a hockey puck. In the case of hockey blades constructed of traditional wood materials, modifications to the blade could be accomplished by carving, steaming, bending and clapping operations until the desired shape and curvature was achieved. This was most often a time consuming process with uncertain outcomes.
Of course strength of the materials used in hockey stick blades is also of critical importance to prevent breakage. Contemporary hockey blades constructed of modern, high strength composite materials have minimized the likelihood of breakage. These advancements, however, have resulted in hockey blades that are rigidly fixed in shape and curvature, and present only limited possibilities for adjustments to a player's individual preferences.
Therefore, a need remains in the field of hockey sticks for a blade having high resistance to breakage while at the same time permitting ease of curvature adjustments without resorting to specialty tools and jigs. The primary goal of this invention is to meet this need.